Fort Bend Employee Federation - Federation Speaks Before Board- Secures Raises and Holds the Line On Insurance Premiums

After presentations by representatives of the Fort Bend Employee Federation and heated debate among Fort Bend ISD Board of Trustees members, the board went on to adopt a budget for the 2009-2010 school year that included raises for teachers, paraprofessionals and classified employees.

Teachers, counselors and speech pathologists will receive a raise secured by Texas AFT at the state level; PSRP's will receive a raise that "adjusts the pay scales by 1% and gives each employee 2% at the midpoint. "

Read the presentations by President Karrie Washenfelder and field organizers Dwight Harris and Anthony Lacsamana.

Let’s get back to the good news –we had an outstanding year- now, let’s reward our employees for a job well done. Thank you for your consideration of our proposal.

Testimony of Dwight Harris

Before

The Fort Bend ISD

Board of Trustees

8/25/09

Mr. President, Superintendent Jenny, and Members of the Board:

Thank you for the opportunity to speak to you again concerning the extra day that has been added to this year’s calendar. As I stated the last time I addressed you on this matter, the problem our members are having is not the fact that there is an extra day but that there is no corresponding pay for the work. I urged you at that time to find a way to pay the 4,000 or so employees for the work you expect them to do.

I have heard comments like we are professionals and we must all tighten our belts etc. and I agree that your teachers, counselors, nurses, and speech pathologists are professional but asking them to work without pay is not professional, not ethical, not right, and maybe not even legal. So again I ask you to fund the extra day.

You have a fund balance that is much greater than the recommended amount. TEA and other sources recommend amounts that range from 5 to 15 percent with the most common recommendation being 8 percent of the expense budget. With a budget in the range of 498 million you need a fund balance of $40 million to meet the 8% level. Even with the current projected deficit of 18 to 19 million that leaves you something in the neighborhood of 74.7 million. When you set aside the 40 million recommended amount you still have 34.7 million dollars over and above the recommended amount. Even if you choose to keep 9, 10, or 12 percent that will not stop you from being able to pay somewhere in the neighborhood of 1.5 and 2 million dollars to your dedicated employees.

If this extra day had been forced upon you I think your employees would understand but it was not, this extra day is on the calendar because you as a district chose to add it. The employees want to know how many days are you going to add in the future and at what point will you feel obligated to pay them. As a district you rightly complain when The State or TEA imposes an obligation upon you without sending the necessary funds to pay for it. You rightly call it an “unfunded mandate” Is this not the same thing, asking a person to put in a day’s work without pay? I ask you don’t do it. Don’t kill the morale of your employees over this ill-conceived idea of working without pay. I assure you that the employees will see this as an “unfunded work day.”

Speech by Anthony Lacsamana

Field Organizer, Fort Bend Employee Federation

August 25, 2009

Dr. Jenney, President Broxton, Ladies and Gentlemen of the Board:

My name is Anthony Lacsamana and I represent over two thousand members of the Fort Bend Employee Federation.

Tonight I am here to celebrate with you the achievements of Fort Bend ISD: which in the words of our Superintendent “we met all 25 TAKS measures for a recognized district. We have seen significant increases in the number of schools making recognized or exemplary status, and our indicators for our children continue to increase while still closing the gaps between minority and majority students. Nearly all achievement indicators are up, and overall, we are proud of the academic success of our students.”

Another example comes n the words of an assistant superintendent who “reported improvement at the K-6 campuses as reflected in student achievement data, discipline referrals and perceptions about important issues such as student safety.”

Ladies and gentlemen, this work was not done by our administrators or our teachers alone but with the help of every single person on our team from the custodians, groundskeepers and warehousemen to our classroom and special education paraprofessionals, secretaries and computer technologists.

Today you will vote to recognize theses important members of our team with a raise and then take away from them with the other hand by raising their insurance contributions and deductibles.

How does this increase in insurance costs affect them?

18,000 Salary @ 2% @ the midpoint = $360 per year raise

$10.00 per month increase for insurance contribution -(120)

Raise is now $240

Increase annual deductible $400 to $500= -(100)

Your raise: $140

This evaporating raise is smaller for those who make less such as our bus drivers, cafeteria workers and custodians who participate in the health insurance program, for these workers the increase has an even larger impact on any raise they may receive.

Speaking for the membership of our organization, I know they are thankful for anything they are receiving but please consider the plight of our members and staff. These people are critical to the success of our district. We should not balance the budget on the backs of those who are compensated the least and yet are asked to perform the most arduous tasks.

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